Three-Day Liveaboard Sailing Course on a Catalina 34 in Carleton-sur-Mer

Carleton-sur-Mer, on the south shore of the Gaspé Peninsula in Québec, is the setting for this hands-on three-day 'vie à bord' sailing course. Meet at Club Nautique de Carleton and spend 72 hours aboard a spacious Catalina 34, learning the seamanship skills needed to command a keelboat while sleeping each night in a new anchorage or marina.

This three-day, two-night course is built for curious beginners and confident day-sailors who want to move up to true coastal cruising. Taught in small groups of four or five, the program covers nautical terminology, sail handling and maneuvering, anchoring, weather interpretation, safety and crew responsibilities. Each day begins with a briefing and practical drills; by evening the crew rotates through skipper and helm roles so students practice real decisions under the instructor's supervision. The boat is a Catalina 34—two double cabins, a 12-foot beam and accommodations to take up to seven—chosen for its forgiving handling and room aboard for a comfortable "liveaboard" experience.

What makes this program special is the 'living aboard' format: you don't just learn maneuvers, you practice living with them. Mornings reefing for wind shifts, afternoons plotting courses along the sheltered coves of Baie des Chaleurs, nights settling in new marinas or quiet anchorages teach students how to plan passages, manage provisions and maintain onboard systems. Because the itinerary moves each night, you'll experience the local shoreline geology—steep rock outcrops, lobed sandstone shoals and fir-lined coves—and have repeated opportunities to practice anchoring and mooring in different conditions.

Practical details are clear: embarkation at 9:00 on day one and a 16:00 return on day three; price listed at $799 plus taxes with a 30% deposit required. Included: aboard accommodation, safety equipment (PFDs, harnesses, tethers) and fuel. Not included: food, personal bedding (bring a sleeping bag and pillow) or hot drinks for the instructor. Prior phone contact is advised for questions: 514‑616‑7288.

This course sits at the intersection of instruction and adventure. It’s an efficient way to gain confidence handling a keelboat, learn passage planning and leave with hands-on experience of night-to-night cruising routines. For travelers who want to swap landlocked hiking for seamanship, the three days aboard the Catalina 34 offer practical skills, local coastal scenery and the steadying rhythm of life on the water—skills you’ll carry to every future cruise.

Beyond technique, participants leave with a practical log of maneuvers, a checklist for future provisioning and a clearer sense of coastal weather patterns critical to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The learning environment is rigorous but friendly: expect hands-on correction, after-action debriefs and a workbook with theory and a final evaluation. Spaces are limited by berth availability; confirm reservations early and call if you have specific medical or mobility concerns.